An old green method - line drying

So - I decided that since I have so much wind, and hot hot weather (it's April and 95) that I needed to use a clothesline.

When I mentioned this to a friend the response was

"Is money really that tight?"

We associate clotheslines to poverty. There is no thought to the environment, or the wear on your clothes.

Take a look at what a good clothesline will cost you ... and you might change your mind.

I purchased a hoity toity Australian clothesline. After reading about them for weeks - seems the Aussies are the leaders.

I wanted one that only had one pole, and that was removable and sturdy. This one cranks up, and then spins in the wind, with a 10 year guarantee. I had a tough time getting it level ... it's close.

I dried my first couple of loads on it this weekend. They say the average house will save 50cents for each load you hang out. It's going to take me a few years to "break even" - but I'm also not putting about 4 pounds of CO2/load into the enviroment - and whats the price of that?

I bought mine here

Ugly chickens

My chickens are getting their feathers ... and they've lost their cute puffy chick look.

When worms fall from the sky

It was a damp day today, so I went out and found a large "glob" of worms hidden under some leaves and debris.

I placed them on top of the wire, and watched as the chickens found them. By the time I got the video the feeding frenzy was over - but a few still get them.

My chickens are going to think that worms come from the sky, not the ground.

Goat babies are born.

This year she had three!

It's quite damp and cold today so we were there to help dry them and warm them up.

If you listen closely - you can hear one of them.

Chicken Update - 2 Weeks old.

Chicken Feet

Most of us know that chicken feet look like this...

But some of my crazy chickens have feet that look like this! He has a few extra toes, and feathers!

They have gotten taller this week. Seems like their legs have grown two inches. They are also starting to look a little rough. They are starting to get their feathers in.

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They are now able to get out of the baby pool. Yesterday I took the top off to clean it, and then I had to chase a chicken around the garage.

It's a Sapling Garden

The county had a tree sapling purchase. Since they were so cheap, I bought more than I should have.

(and you had to buy them in bunches of 25 or 10) It didn't occur to me that I had to plant 70 trees. We decided that it was better to plant them all together and transplant them again in a year or two. Ollie was eating the sticks (deciduous trees) as soon as we were putting them in the ground.

This way I don't have to mow around each little tree, and gives them a little bit of protection from the deers.

Its certainly a long term investment.

Update: Baby Chicks

Okay .... so these baby chicks are much more work than I anticipated. They are nasty little things. I'll spare you the details. They have about doubled in size this week.

This one reminds me of a Siamese cat.

I will admit that I have spent a fair amount of time just watching them. They already have little personalities, and I think I can tell which are males. I'm guessing we have three, and a maybe a fourth (or a really bitchy hen).

This will be a feather footed one - she has down on her feet.

Do not try to count... there are no longer 31

Bird Dogs and Baby Chickens

I have two trained bird hunting dogs. One was trained by a professional and has a little more self control (and discretion), the other was trained by me, and believes "if it flies - it dies".

So 31 chickens is quite an event for my bird dogs - they've lost their minds, and can't hear ANYTHING except squeaking chicks. If you look closely, the dogs are shaking.

.... just trying to keep things exciting at my house.

The chicks have arrived - 2 days old.

I got a phone call from the Post Office today.


The chicks were here, and if I was willing to drive to a distribution center, I could have them on today (on a Sunday)
I unpacked 31 chickens, and dipped each of their beaks into the water (twice). They seem to be doing okay - they are supposed to be kept at 95 degrees for the first week.

Next up, Economics

I wasn't sure I should take a class for spring quarter.

I've got baby chicks coming, a new dog that is driving me nuts, and still the whole work/commute thing.

Spring brings lot's of yard work for me, and I'm just not sure how much time I can fit in.

Well - I'm going for it... so tomorrow starts microeconomics.

Camden Yards

Spenser's friend David is in town, and Spenser had class - so it was my turn to play tour guide.

We went to Camden Yards in Baltimore, and did a tour of Oriole Park.

From the dugout toward the B&O Warehouse

From the warehouse

This foul pole came with them from their old stadium (memorial stadium), it's good luck - so they think.

The coolest part... unknown to us till today...

In right field is the B&O warehouse which was remodeled with the stadium. They assumed balls would leave the park and hit the building - so the first three floors of windows are shatterproof. Turns out that there is a wind tunnel that comes through the street, and the balls drop.

They mark the spot on the street with this emblem...something like 65 balls have left the ballpark in the 16 years, AND ONLY ONE ball has ever hit the building.

Who hit the ball?

Ken Griffey Jr in 1993 home run derby. He has the only emblem on the building, the rest are on the street.

Angie gets an "A"

My Environmental Philosophy class is now over.
It turned out to be a really great class, I worked really hard and got an "A".

I'm still debating about taking a class this next quarter. Spring is about to be upon me, with baby chickens, trees to plant and acres to care for, and visitors. Not to mention Ripley and Ollie.
There just may not be any extra time until after my outdoor duties are over.

Next up is microeconomics.

The chickens are coming

So the neighbors and I made an agreement to raise chickens together. They already have a coop, but all their chickens are now gone.





So - I'll purchase and raise the chickens for the first few weeks (they need some care), and then I'll put them in their coop for them with some of my help - and we'll split the eggs.

I've learned so much about chickens! You purchase day old chicks from a hatchery, and they will send them through the mail.


Turns out there is a huge boom in chicken raising, and I found it difficult to get most of the ones that we had wanted. We had to order back in Nov for a March delivery of the popular breeds.

There are really two types of chickens - good egg layers that will lay about an egg a day, and "pretty" ones (As my neighbor likes to call them) which lay about one every third day. The good egg layers and the normal chickens that we've all seen - but then there are some crazy looking chickens.

I've been warned that I need to buy extra to share with the wildlife. Hawks and coyotes take off with them, especially when they are little. So - I've purchased (32) chicks that will be delivered the last week of this month. We assumed to lose 1/2, and when they start laying will give us about a dozen every other day, which is more than we can eat - but we know people.
They should start laying at the end of the summer.


Some of the real exotic ones don't come sexed , so you can assume that 1/2 will be males - if you play the odds - we could end up with 3 males. We can see which ones we like best, and eat all but 1 of them. Did you know that you don't have to have a male to have eggs?

I'm curious to see if the "pretty ones" are dumber than the ugly good egg layer ones.

... I haven't yet figured out how I raise 32 chickens in the house with two bird-dogs.



<--------- This one lays blueish-green eggs (but we couldn't get any of those!)

Gaviotas, Columbia

I had to learn alot about Gaviotas for my Philosophy class, and I thought I'd share it with you.

Gaviotas is a model of sustainable living that was started more than 30 years ago in the Savanna in Columbia.
It was started with one mans vision, and they have created quite a few great inventions, and it still moves forward today.

I want to move there... who's with me?

http://www.friendsofgaviotas.org/Home.html
http://www.mariposagroup.org/gaviotas.htm
http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/26/technology/village_saving_planet.biz2/index.htm

Ride with me ... through the Everglades

I went to South Florida for the weekend. My sister was visiting my parents, and I made a surprise visit.

WARNING: The video is loud, it's an airboat

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In the second video we are doing a 360, and a wave is coming up over the boat on the right hand side, I turn to keep the camera somewhat dry (thus you don't see it) - but you do hear me scream as I get soaked with swamp water.

Gotta see Gators in the Everglades.

Disclaimer: Nice hair? I had been driving in a convertible for an hour, and then got soaked with swamp water before this!!

Some Southern Florida Vegetation. I love Bird of Paradise.

Anyone know what this is?

Ollie Ollie Oxen Free

We've had Ollie 5 weeks now.
It's not perfect by any means ... but we are trying. He's a really sweet dog, he just has so much baggage that he is sometimes consumed with fear. :-(

It's sad.

(Can you guess where the chickens are?)

I knew that I didn't have alot of time to fix serious behavior problems. I'm trying. I have to give him another week or so.

Vermicomposting my dog doo

When I tell people about this method, they usually think that I am crazy. However I composted my dog doo with this method in Snohomish, and it works really well.

Several years ago I purchased this over-rated worm composter designed just for this.

To initially set up the composter, you place cardboard in the bottom to keep the worms from falling through.

Then you add Red Worms (they are best for this purpose) This is 250 worms.

Then you cover them with wet paper

Then you add the poopie (I don't think you'll need that picture)

The first generation of worms are not happy with their options of food, however the second generation knows no different - and within a couple of months it will digest 2 dogs worth of poop as fast as your dogs can make it. Probably could do 4 dogs with more worms.

You have to water them once in awhile - but they do all the work, and supply you with worm castings (fertilizer) in exchange.

It works for cats too!

I was cold

Roger took this picture of me in DC

As he points out, you can see the flags around the Washington Mounument in my glasses.

The chicken and/or the egg?

For those of you who have not had farm fresh eggs... you will not understand this.

Farm raised, free range chickens eat many things. Chickens are omnivores - when they are allowed to scavenge on their own, they eat lots of bugs of which this protein goes into the egg - making it much richer.

So - I'm thinking about raising chickens. Let's look past the bird dogs for a moment.

How do you figure out what it's worth? Yes they are better, yes we like eggs, yes they would be better for the environment and the chickens, yes they would be antibiotic and hormone free - but the initial investment is not cheap.

Basically to get started it is going to cost me 800 dollars ($700 house, $50 dollar posts/wire, $50 dollars for birds/supplies).
I can buy a dozen eggs from the local farm for $3.5 dozen. (We will not count what I can buy them from Costco, because they really are not equivalent)

This enough for 6-8 egg layers. They will average 40 eggs/week, 170 dozen/year. At 170 dozen a year - it would pay for its self in less than 2 years.
However - we really can only eat a dozen/week. So I'll have to give the rest away (not interested in selling), so then it will take us 4 and 1/2 years, and I'll be sharing the benefit with friends.

The house will still be worth while in 5 years, though I will have had to replace the chickens at least once.

What is the worth of being "ONE" with the food you eat? Egg laying chickens have a horrible life.

What is the worth of doing the right thing for animals that produce your food? How do you figure out that price?